ISEA updates high-visibility public safety vest standards

The International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA) has published updates to its American National Standard for High-Visibility Public Safety Vests, ANSI/ISEA207-2011, which outlines the design, performance specifications, and utilization of safety vests.

The revision includes updates to the initial publication from 2006, and was approved by major stakeholders from fire and police forces, testing laboratories, safety equipment manufacturers, and government organizations.

"ISEA members are aware of the need for emergency personnel to be recognized during a situation where multiple responders may be present and where their identification is critical to mitigating the crisis at hand," noted Jim Teigen, chairman of the ISEA High-Visibility Products Group. "The standard serves to meet the desires of the wearers through identification means on the vest, while ensuring that they are visible to vehicle operators at the same time."

The update also highlights the service-life guidelines for high-visibility apparel that have been established by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).

"It is important that wearers understand that a public safety vest’s ongoing visibility properties can be influenced by environmental and use conditions," stated Teigen. "For these reasons, they should become familiar with FHWA and manufacturers’ guidelines to ensure that they are wearing items that provide the necessary protection from a visibility standpoint."